Very good episode with the appealing premise of Sam Clemens' time as editor on Virginia City's "Territorial Enterprise". The issue of "Freedom of the Press" & journalism's sacred principle of a reporter's right to protect his or her sources of information may've been influenced by the unfolding Watergate scandal, though this episode would've been written & filmed a good bit in advance of that now long-ago era in U. S. political history. So the story probably wasn't influenced by Watergate, more likely an intriguing coincidence. Ken Howard does well as Clemens, his low-key witticisms & laconic attitude in general quite convincing & smile-inducing. This episode occurs in a time long before the great author achieved national or international fame. The overall plot got a little beyond me after a point, becoming slightly convoluted, but remained very interesting & enjoyable. The gravedigging scene toward the end was eerily evocative & rivetting. This, combined with the cemetery-shootout, visually was a stunning surprise. A really good, long-forgotten, late-in-the-series'-run episode!
Reviews
33 Reviews
Nice Try but Falls Short of a Great Classic
16 July 2023
For quite awhile into this film, I felt encouraged by its seemingly faithful adherence to Twain's great novel. About halfway through, however, I began recalling scenes from the book I'd read for the first time only 6 months ago, suddenly realizing how much of Twain's imaginative masterpiece had been omitted, which was disappointing. The film's ending was completely different from the novel in an effort to give the film an overhurried, cinematically exciting finish. Despite such transgressions, the movie truly looks authentic in terms of time, place, & costumes. Without exception, the acting is uniformly good. My only real disappointment with the film is that the primary engine of the story, the river, is never specifically named, i.e. The Mississippi. While most assuredly not filmed on the great waterway, none of its magisterial width or awesome natural beauty is depicted. It could be any river anywhere. As a matter of fact, the story's setting, its historical geography, is rather hazy & described in questionably vague fashion. Regrettably, Huck & Jim's famous journey along the great liquid conduit writhing its way through the nation's midsection is treated quite mundanely. Likewise, the fugitives' raft isn't presented in its entirety, its physical dimensions & components unclear. The viewer never sees the most famous log conveyance in literary history from above or afar, its relation to the river's grandeur wholly non-depicted. True, as desperate travellers fleeing for their lives, Jim & Huck wouldn't've spent their time "oohing & ahhing" over, or commenting on, the wonders of the wavy world upon which they'd embarked but the filmmakers made no attempt to create this feeling in the viewer. Some steamboat interaction, however, was competently & acceptably done. Although the scenes with the King & the Duke are both amusing & faithful to the novel, for which one can be grateful, watching this segment comes off as a little too lengthy & ponderous when viewed onscreen, deadening the pace of an ongoing story. As mentioned, the finale is almost wholly unrecognizable, involving a movie-invented character who plays no part in the novel, though he's a likeable & important character. Sadly, too, perhaps, the film completely omits the arrival of Tom Sawyer on the scene, comprising several of the most amusing & enjoyable chapters of Twain's tale. Mickey Rooney, of course, is superb as loveable, pipe-smoking, shoes-hating, school-avoiding rapscallion Huck, though a few years too old to be wholly in sync with Twain's immortal character. Rex Ingram is unforgettable as Jim, capturing the freedom-questing slave's humanity most sympathetically & movingly. The movie's well-made, atmospheric, & quite entertaining---an appreciated attempt at capturing the essence of Twain's timeless triumph, though only half-succeeding. The other half should've been the capturing of the sheer poetry of the thrilling, epochal, life-changing journey taken long-ago, when the nation yet was young, so many of its dreams, and, yes, flaws, hidden-away in the still-unknown future. The story of impartial, endlessly-flowing Ol' Man River, one that played such a huge role in our country's development---and 2 characters immortalized by Mr. Clemens in what was far-more than a mere adventure story. This 1939 movie-version is, & will remain, a good but forgotten cinematic artifact, while the original novel will just keep rollin' along.
Lee Grant a Stunner in a Stunning Police Drama
1 July 2023
A fine entry from a long-vanished era in television. Although I saw none of this series originally, as far as I can recall, but I'm pretty sure I never did, I nevertheless remember when it was on in the 60's, when, of course, I was only a child. I knew who Bob Hope was, definitely, saw his specials, etc., though I probably missed alot of those, too. So much was over my head still, even comedy, unless strictly on a kid-level. "Deadlock" has great suspense & Ms. Grant is at the peak of her beauty. She's totally convincing as an hours-only widow who holds a sweltering police-district office at gun & nitro point, awaiting the officer who, she insists, murdered her unarmed husband, criminal though he was, unbeknownst to her. There's much tension & is realistically played-out---for that period of time, the late-60s. The absence of a/c, computers, & cellphones seem laughably absent when viewed today but the era in which this was filmed must be taken into account. Personally, I wish these, mostly unrestored, Chrysler Theater episodes included the original intros & exit commentaries with Bob Hope but they don't. You'll note in the credits that the program's a "Ho-Vue Production", a combo of Hope & Revue Studios, where these episodes were shot. Revue rented out its studio facilities to numerous TV productions back then. This was Hope's baby, with Chrysler footing the bill for both Theater & his monthly comedy specials. All the Theater episodes were considered superior television, especially the dramas, when first-aired back in the 60's, something with which Hope wanted to be associated at that period in his career, & still hold up quite well today, social & technological changes aside, though some of the infrequent Theater comedies are a little over-the-top & hard-to-take, especially with the over-strong laugh-tracks. Also alot of fun to see the startling pool of acting talent that existed back then, both established performers & the rising-stars whom weren't yet well-known & now appear so young, as, of course, they were.
Superlative Entry
7 April 2023
This is one of the very few film appearances in which I've seen Audrey Meadows outside of her most famous role as Alice Kramden in "The Honeymooners". I won't outline the plot but she's superb here in the title role of Nancy Palmer. I knew she was a good actress but I truly was astounded by her performance, especially in the latter half when the plot takes a decided turn. Her character evokes 2 different personalities, totally convincing in both. Jack Cassidy plays her husband, the usual weasel-like, smiling charlatan type of part at which he excelled. He's equally good here. Their interaction is quite natural & believable. Make no mistake, though, this episode is an unsparing, full-fledged drama, mercifully devoid of forced humor. Even the usual weekly, corny, cringe-inducing banter between the train's crew & the unappreciated & much teased cook, Charlie Wooster, is downplayed & quite limited. The episode's marred only a little by the usual familiar faces of that early 1960's-era assortment of folks making up the train's Pacific-bound emigrants, somewhat detracting from the requisite historical realism. This has no effect on the main, well-conceived & well-written plot, however, or Ms. Meadows' stellar performance. In addition, by the end, she undergoes a remarkable transformation. Try to catch this superior episode when you can, as you won't regret it!
Dennis Day Goes West
24 March 2023
Good, compact episode set in Fairbanks, Arizona, a dusty nondescript hamlet on the Sonora Shortline, a railroad serving regional mines. The Fairbanks depot is lonely & isolated, an inevitable target for numerous outlaw gangs after the hefty payrolls kept in the station's safe, including those dropped off by stagecoaches, which are frequently ambushed & robbed before they get to the depot. A number of deaths have resulted from all the criminal activity, leading also to the depot's loss of personnel who keep quitting due to totally inadequate pay, the constant life-threatening dangers, & lack of nearby law enforcement. The bosses back east in Boston believe the dangers have been exaggerated & ignore pleas for help from the Fairbanks depot staff---all of 2 people! The bosses offer no improvement in conditions or send out any support. Dennis Day does well in the role of a timid greenhorn sent to Fairbanks by one of the bosses who doesn't want the young man to marry his daughter, thinking the dangerous assignment will be the last they'll see of him. Day has a pleasant air & natural likeability. Despite his persona as an empty-headed dunce, though a fabulous singer, from the Jack Benny Show, still on the air when this episode appeared, Day plays it straight in "Way Station", proving he can act, without any hint of his Benny show character. Day had a comical countenance similar in nature to certain great comedians, such as Bob Hope & Jack Benny himself. Dennis Day, like the others, was fairly handsome, despite their smile-inducing visages. Of course, Day wasn't a joke-spewing comedian like Hope or Benny but rather a fine singer of a terrifically melodious voice. Still, he had a nice, lightly-humorous-looking face, quite pleasant to one's eyes. In fact, while watching Day in this episode, I thought about how he possibly could've found success as a movie comedian, ala Bob Hope, with the right material suited to Day specifically. Although not a Hope-style comedian---and, in truth, not a comedian at all---Day just had the right kind of look. Anyway, check out this episode. Day is good & it's a pretty nifty little tale of the Old West.
Not So Much a Whodunnit as a Who-Okayed It?
1 March 2023
Hard to sit through this one, mainly because it's extremely talky & static. I didn't try to follow the dialogue too closely as it's labyrinthine & convoluted, making it difficult to follow, at least for me. Essentially an inside-job bank robbery scenario, related in a 2-person, flashback procedural way, making it quite tedious to stay focused. I know TV viewers had much longer attention spans back in that now vanished era but I found it painful & rather boring in this case. Interesting to me mainly just to see actor Bob Sweeney, whose increasing nervousness is fun to watch. Although an obscure actor, both then & now, he usually played high-strung, fidgety types, such as here, or charming, smooth-talking con-men, mostly in a lightly comical style. Despite Sweeney's amusing, watchable presence, this is one Hitchcock TV episode that easily can be skipped.
Formulaic Formula Fiasco Fun
6 January 2023
The first episode of this series I've since it went off the air in 1974, which I watched religiously every week back then. I'd long-since forgotten the general nature of the series as well as individual plots & guest stars. In recent times, however, I've wanted to view this series again, especially as I came to re-discover its predecessor "The Lucy Show", which I found eminently enjoyable with sharp, witty lines & clever situations, a type of solid, sensible comedy which no longer exists. "The Great Airport Chase" is the 1st of the "Here's Lucy" series I've seen since the 70's, after recently having purchased a 7-episode dvd collection. Initially, I was disappointed with the episode when I saw it devolving into a hackneyed spy-caper premise. I was expecting a more stage-bound sitcom with sharp writing & funny, well-played-out comedy. This episode seemed too open-ended & aimless. Before long, though, I warmed to the scenario. Seeing shots of LAX International was quite interesting, looking almost rural & primitive in that now long-ago era, despite its, at the time, state-of-the-art modernity & reflection of the thrill & glamour of the jet-age, which also no longer exists, not to mention the now idyllic-seeming air travel days pre-9/1/1. The episode's free-form notwithstanding, along with almost no dialogue, the situations are, in fact, clever & amusing. There's a brief inclusion of poor background process-work as Lucy & her boss, Mr. Carter, while being chased by the bad guys, are driving erratically around the runway in a baggage-cart transport vehicle but it's amusing nonetheless. A later scene is done with speeded-up film, perhaps influenced by its time-slot competitor "Laugh-In", a groundbreaking comedy-variety show that revolutionized the filming techniques of many series in that era, primarily in tempo-quickening. In short, "Chase" is a non-traditional Lucy sitcom entry but one that's ultimately quite appealing. One may cringe a little at the stereotyped depiction of the bad guys, whose nationality is unspecified, but this can be overlooked when considering the times is which this episode was filmed. Overall, pretty good entry, at times harking back to the silent comedy era.
Wolf Larsen
(1958)
Jack London's Nautical Classic
25 November 2022
Fun flick I recall seeing for first time on an offbeat cable channel way back in the early 80's. Somehow, it stuck with me in all the intervening years, and which I never thought I'd see again, as it never turned up anywhere, not even in a discount video or dvd bin. Upon first viewing, I was unfamiliar with the original novel by Jack London, though I now am. Of course, the major Hollywood production filmed in the 40's starring Edward G. Robinson was more substantial, expensive-looking, and elaborate, though I'm sure it strayed quite a bit from the novel nonetheless. "Wolf's" rather niftily done despite its low-budget. Most of the scenes were filmed aboard a real ship while at sea which is rather impressive. Even with such cramped spaces with which to work, the camerawork is varied and remains interesting. The screenplay, too, is well-written and follows a logical progression. There's little action until toward the end, and no doubt would be considered too talky for today's audiences but it nevertheless hold's one's interest, primarily due to the 19th-century sailing ship on which the story's set, the unpredictabilty of Larsen's violent streaks of temper, cruelty, and Jekyll & Hyde personality. Peter Graves, well before he achieved TV fame with "Mission: Impossible" performs in sufficiently stalwart fashion, making the best of a bad situation, becoming a so-called "man" in the process. The survivor of a disaster at sea, his character's rescued by Larsen's ship "Ghost", who promptly puts him to work at shipboard tasks for which Graves is completely unsuited. He learns the captain and his crew are seal-hunters, though none of this bloody work, thankfully, isn't shown. Of course, viewed and judged by today's sensibilities, seal-hunting is utterly reprehensible, the delightful marine animals killed nearly to extinction in order make trendy sealskin coats, society's demand for such having created a very lucrative industry, which Larsen's pursuing. Sickening! Barry Sullivan does well as the troubled captain of the "Ghost". "Wolf Larsen's" a neat, salt-sprayed little tale of men interacting within a very confined space, far removed from civilization, and subject to the whims of a despotic sea-captain, one who provides them their livelihood. While not a classic film by any means, it's based on a great classic story, condensed and simplified but conveying it pretty well in straightforward, muscular fashion, complicated only slightly by the addition of a lone woman toward the film's conclusion. All enthusiasts of sailing ships like the "Ghost", and the late 19th-century era in which it takes place, should check it out!
Intriguing Story
21 July 2022
I've always liked this episode, best when viewed some years apart. It has a good premise/dilemma/situation, no doubt novel in its day. And it's imaginatively played-out, holding one's interest to the conclusion. I think what I've come to like about it most is actor Charles Aidman's role & performance. He's seen to good advantage here as a convincingly-portrayed physicist-neighbor, whose scientific insight helps envision the weird nature of the problem, offering some comfort to the frantic parents of a child who's vanished from her bed in the middle of the night but whom they can hear calling to them for help from an unidentifiable point in the house, though it turns out, through the neighbor's perception, that the "little girl lost" is trapped in another dimension, audible but invisible. Ultimately, the physicist resolves a very perplexing enigma. I guess I just like the idea of having a physicist for a friend & neighbor. Then there's the realization that physicists rarely are featured as characters in TV shows, then or now; science fiction, I suppose, excepted, though not in the realistic, down-to-earth way(no pun intended) as is portrayed here by Mr. Aidman, an actor I've always liked. Each viewing always gets me to wondering about what a physicist actually does on a daily basis? Of course, they teach or work in labs & such, I guess, but I've always found it interesting to ponder, as a result of this episode. In short, great classic TZ entry---the only minor criticism being the blinking lights used in the sequence depicting the 4th-dimension. The special effects employed are good but the blinking lights in the distant background look fairly fake. They could've been eliminated & the other fantasy effects would've been fine. No big deal. As stated, a compelling episode, one that's quite well-done.
Indiscreet
(1958)
Elegant Fun through a Cinematic Champagne Glass
3 July 2022
Haven't seen this movie in at least 25 years, not even a passing glimpse, so I'd forgotten most of it. I haven't seen Cary Grant in anything either in I don't know how long. As a fan of Hollywood's Golden Age, I recently started thinking about Grant again, feeling a desire to see him in a movie once more, to experience his charm & elegance. Guess I've been craving the need to sample or view suave sophistication, something sleek, stylish, & urbane. Cary certainly delivers here though the story itself is a fluffy souffle', enjoyable but lightweight. The film's stage origins are obvious but settings & dialogue are handled with flair & panache. Grant's character is quite subdued in the first half but he comes alive most engagingly in the 2nd---and he's a complete delight in the ballroom sequence where he enters into an impromptu Highland reel, the movie's only real standout highlight. I found Bergman rather tedious in this picture---she seemed at times either too whiny or too strident. Even occasionally a sense she was overacting. Overall, I felt there were too many scenes comprised of formally-posed lovey-dovey interaction between them, Ingrid looking away dreamily as Grant embraces her, flirtatious phone conversations, strategically-timed kisses, etc. Okay but overdone. None of this is fatal. There are many witty moments in the dialogue, with Grant as smooth & debonair as they come. Cecil Parker lends a dry but sprightly sparkle to the proceedings as well. In short, Indiscreet is much ado about nothing, never boring but lacking substance. It appealed to me though, nonetheless, since I was in the mood for what it offered.
A Treasured Episode
10 April 2022
This is a superb episode, one of my favorites, a plotline in which everything clicks. A good example of how a strong, solid premise can be rivetting from start to finish. Don't get me wrong. Virtually all of Bonanza's stories had strong premises, brilliantly constructed, edited, & played out. There's something extra special about "Logan's Treasure", though. At this point in the series' history, 1964, the show was running at full-steam with compelling tales, wonderfully written & performed. I won't rehash the plot of this episode but it'll keep you glued. Lorne Greene, of course, excellent as always. Michael Landon's absent from it but with Dan Blocker's presence one scarcely notices. Either of the "sons" could've been featured; what I mean is, both actors, Landon & Blocker, were so natural, watchable, & identifiable in their respective roles, that either one would've been instantly acceptable in a story requiring the presence of only one of them. I especially like the philosophical underpinning Ben brings to the plot of this entry, having to do with, not greed alone, but the invisible chains that can weigh down & imprison a man in pursuit of false gods. The final line that Ben speaks in "Logan's Treasure" chokes me up every time. Please make a point of catching it!
All the World's a Stage
7 August 2021
This episode, though, of course, a drama, is alot of fun with an especially good premise. One of the delights is that West & Gordon are in the story together at the same time, with few separations isolating their performances, which is the usual procedure. Their interplay is quite good. I enjoyed the plot device of the 2 agents posing as entertainers travelling by show-wagon, pretending to be lost, thus gaining entry into villain John Dehner's remote, secret hideout. It's a pleasure seeing West portraying a bouncy but physically-weak show-biz type in derby hat. Where he learned his magic tricks isn't explained but probably something he learned over the years, as it could come in handy, as it does here. And Gordon's over-the-top performance of Hamlet's soliloquy is most amusing, dressed in costume as the melancholy, indecisive Prince of Denmark. As a former theatrical-actor, prior to his joining the Secret Service, the agent's thrilled to be on center-stage again, savoring every moment. Topping all of this, John Dehner is superb as a corrupt-politician on-the-run---smooth, dapper & intelligent. He's always very watchable in every role he played. HIs conversations with West are quite compellingly well-written, especially during their dinner scene. Ruta Lee, always easy-on-the-eyes, plays a somewhat ditzy ex-actress, currently down on-her-luck, hooked-up with Avery(Dehner), & confused about the trustworthiness of men---even suave James West can't seem to "unconfuse" her! Imaginative finale in the mine with the coal-cars, along with a cute ending with Gordon, West, & Ruta Lee(I forget her character's name) back in their special Secret Service train. All in all, a fine, captivating, engrossing episode, with everything running--and working--on all cylinders! Probably one of the best.
Destined for the Dustbin of TV History
25 July 2021
Although I rarely watch this series, I've seen several episodes over the years. I think I've always liked the ones I've seen. Usually, I'm not a fan of whodunits, losing track of who's who & who did what when, often finding it difficult to keep the chronology of events straight, especially with a large cast of suspects. With certain exceptions, I've never much cared "whodunit". Exceptions would be the classier sort of murder-mystery with clearly-defined characters & fairly simple or straightforward chronologies, more like a Poirot, Columbo, or even a Sherlock Holmes. This Perry Mason episode HAS to be the worst I've ever seen, unbelievably loud, hyper, & way-overacted. I was confused from start to finish, skipping the trial as I'd long since lost interest, REALLY not caring whodunit. I forwarded to the final moments before the fadeout. The only reason I happened to tune in was because I'm a fan of Sean McClory. Until the advent of nostalgic, retro TV channels, I had no idea he was in so many programs over the decades. For years, I only knew him from the Bonanza leprechauns' episode, a Rifleman, a Death Valley Days, and Disney's The Gnome-Mobile, where he played a shady sideshow-carny. Speaking of Death Valley Days, it's interesting in that he appeared in an episode of the series with June Lockhart, and who play a married couple in the Mason episode. The latter is extremely talky, though most of them are; however, the dialogue usually is far more interesting. Not so this one---nothing but loud shouting & ludicrously exagerrated acting. I've never seen McClory in such a role, though I enjoyed him for its novelty. The story is complex, not because it's sophisticated but because I couldn't hear or follow what anybody was saying, the decibel-level killing most of it. People in real-life just don't shout, argue, or get that emotionally charged-up. Almost everyone acted like a crazy person. To be honest, I also tuned-in for Sue Ann Langdon, whom I always keep an eye out for, she being easy on them. She played her usual dumb-blonde role here but she played it well, if only too briefly before she's murdered. She was amusing, too, if somewhat detached from realism. Even dumb-blondes aren't really THAT dumb! I was surprised at how beautiful June Lockhart looked here. I've always liked her, knowing, of course, she was attractive but I never sought-out her TV appearances for that. Rather for her voice which had an elegant, cultured sound to it, along with a certain stateliness in her performances. In "Sculptor", though, she's nothing short of breathtaking, especially in the very final scene on the mansion-steps leading to the fade-out. Although she was quite-lovely in the Death Valley Days episode with McClory that I mentioned above, looking very exquisitely-classy & fetching in 19th-century garb, she seemed especially beautiful in "Sculptor". Another negative were the 2 old-ladies who opened the show, one more than the other who didn't really register with any personality. I've seen her before in things from years back, always playing the same kind of role. I've never cared for actresses who play cutesy, devious, mischievous, or comical grandmothers, or much-older busy-body women in general. I can't explain. Even if they're ideal in a certain casting-sense, I find them unrealistic & hard to take, too exagerrated or something--or a certain facial-look that makes them seem caricatures, I don't exactly know. In summary, this was a horrible episode, making little if any sense---loud, confusing, boring, and terribly-acted. I've heard some people familiar with a variety of dramatic shows from the 60's, like Perry Mason, say they tended to feature loud overacting, characters frequently angry, shouting, etc. After seeing this pathetic episode, I can see their point, though this one was extreme. Burr himself looked tired, bored, and rather old in this episode. I doubt he even knew what the plot was about, just going through the motions. If any of the regulars ever watched this episode, I imagine they all had a good laugh---if they could stomach it for more than a few minutes. Golly, it's bad!
Istanbul
(1957)
Errol Flynn Sparkles & Shines in this Diamond-Smuggling Tale of Exotic Intrigue
23 May 2021
I just watched this film on You Tube. I'm a Flynn fan but had seen this only once before, close to 30 years ago now. My interest in Mr. Flynn lay dormant for many years. His films turned-up rarely, primarily only on TCM, which tended only to air his famous, top-notch swashbucklers. At some point, I decided I couldn't keep watching the same movies over & over. I've recently regained my interest in Flynn, mainly from a You Tube clip of his doing a very-entertaining song-and-dance routine in the British-film "Lilacs in the Spring", aka "Let's Make Up". Seeing this clip made me realize he'd made many additional movies in the 1950's after his last great swashbuckler "The Adventures of Don Juan" in 1948. For the record, I'm a big-fan of "The Master of Ballantrae", too, made in the early-50's. I decided I wanted to see as many of his last-decade of picture-making as I could, "Istanbul" being one of them. I must say, I found Errol rivetting in this movie-drama, released in 1957, just short-of-a-month from my birthday. I've never seen him so appealing, supremely-handsome, to be sure, but more importantly, he seemed just-right in the role---perfectly natural, self-possessed, & self-confident. His emotions & expressions seemed totally on-the-money in every scene. The You Tube print was in sharp, clear color, & featured excellent audio-quality. One of the best things for a Flynn fan like me, is that the actor was in virtually every frame of film. It was a joy to see him in frequent closeups wherein he displayed no-signs of dissolution. In fact, he appeared to be in excellent overall physical-condition, very sleek & slender, exhibiting a calm, natural manliness. There was no air of portraying a vacuous playboy or bon vivant charmer with the ladies; in fact, he was devoted to only one woman in this picture. I won't rehash the plot but it held my interest throughout. Though some have found it slow-moving, I did not, though I think I do recall being slightly bored by it upon 1st-viewing some 25 or 30 years ago. This time, so many years later, I found it quite interesting & compelling, in addition to being so impressed with Errol's appearance & performance. While he'll always be remembered for his classic Hollywood-swashbucklers, "Istanbul" proves what a versatile actor he was. This is a serious, down-to-earth drama & Mr. Flynn pulls-it-off with believable, watchable aplomb---nice ending, too!
Stylish, Elegant Fun
14 May 2021
Another clever yet atypical series-entry. I won't discuss the plot as that's been done elsewhere. The story unfolds with an amusingly-novel premise but the real pleasure, for me, was the nice-recreation of Edwardian-era, i.e., British-society, of the early 20th-centruy. These recreations involve a train-station with a realistic-looking string of passenger-cars slowing-to-a-halt at the platform. It's a fairly close-in view of the cars & looks pretty-authentic. There's a stylish, elegant automobile, the interior of the Wellington-house, and a convincingly-attired cast. Mr. & Mrs. Wellington both sound & look like well-off husband & wife, as well as parents, "modern" yet rather proper & traditional. Hermione Gingold takes the honors here, though, as the episode's main-attraction. For we Americans who know the actress only from "Gigi" & "The Music Man", it's a fun-surprise to learn she was in many-other films, both on TV & in movies, over-the-years. A British-actress, her crisp, precise, unique & distinctive-diction is a joy-to-hear, as is her persona & stylish-demeanor a pleasure to watch. There's a nice surprise-twist at the end, too, which clarifies her character's rather-quirky & puzzling personality-traits. This would seem to be a rather unique-episode in the Hitchcock-series---fun, visually-appealing, and one worth catching.
An Easy-Going Episode, Witty, Clever---and Furry!
6 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I suppose I liked this episode mostly because of the presence of Dick Van Dyke. Although I've seen this entry once before, a few years ago now, it still seems surprising to find Van Dyke in an episode of this series. It's also refreshingly humorous & a nice change of pace. Van Dyke does quite-well in the role, catching the ironic & satirical-spirit of the premise. He uses various amusing facial-expressions in a controlled, natural-way, i.e., they aren't over-the-top or mis-timed. His appearance here still was before he'd become famous but I'm sure anyone in the business could see the obvious, underlying-talent he possessed, especially as a normal, relatable, and likeable light-comedian. National-recognition of his appealing, ingratiating-style, resulting in immense popularity & a brilliant-career in both TV & movies, weren't too far-away. The other reason I enjoyed this episode is due to the presence of Stella Stevens. I'd never seen her at this stage of her career, except perhaps for an episode of Bonanza I recall. Whether it was before her appearance here or shortly-after, I can't say but definitely before her rise to fame in the big Jerry Lewis comedy-hit of 1963, "The Nutty Professor". I was impressed with her in this AHP episode. Although she became a major sex-symbol in the 60's, beginning with "Professor", and one can detect a hint of it here, Stevens, her beauty & general-aura of "sexiness" aren't exagerrated for prurient-effect. The "steam" she puts-on for Van Dyke is done in a quite-charming & naturalistic-way. Van Dyke's naieve-character can't resist her sultry-provocations about killing the dog who's preventing the couple from inheriting a fortune. We, the viewers, know, though, that she's faking her seductive-ardor, simply to persuade Van Dyke to engage in unethical, malevolent-behavior. Eventually, of course, he sees-through her ploys, thus destroying all her hopes & plans for becoming filthy-rich at the dog's expense. It's all very-cutely played-out. The dog himself is most-amusing & likeable. While watching, I found certain of his canine-gestures reminiscent of Lassie, consciously-thinking of the famous TV-collie, including his bark, which did, in fact, sound-like the same dubbed-over "bark" used for Lassie. I'm sure it was, as I learned afterwards that the dogs did, in fact, share the same trainer---and both AHP & Lassie were on CBS, too! In short, a very-pleasant episode not-to-be-taken seriously and equally-interesting to see 2-stars in-the-making, so-early in their careers, on the very-eve of their imminent, meteoric-fame!
Murphy's War
(1971)
Something a Little-Different, Proving that War is Swell
16 April 2021
This is a good, original WW2 story set in a forgotten-backwater of the conflict, i.e., the Orinoco River in South America. I won't rehash the plot but suffice it to say, Peter O'Toole is eminently & grippingly-watchable as the lone-survivor of a German submarine-attack. While convalescing among friendly-islanders, he plots revenge in grand-style. The story very-easily could've gone-down-the-path of wartime-cliches but doesn't; there's no romantic-stuff, for example. My only negative-comments are of a minor-variety. Although the primary flying-sequence is stunning to watch, it goes on too-long. The roar of the seaplane's motor becomes tedious quite-quickly, too. Still, it's well-shot with no-obvious or glaring back-projection special-effects, making it seem pretty-believable that O'Toole's actually flying-it. In addition to the engine-noise, much of the film's dialogue is, sadly, unintelligible between the characters. Whether this simply was the commonly-experienced low-volume audio-condition inherent in dvds or the actual, original soundtrack on the film itself, I can't say. Like so many other dvds, though, I had to turn my TV's-volume up almost as high as it would-go in-order to understand the dialogue, and even then it was a struggle. Part of this drawback, though, was due, I think, to the fact that many-scenes are played with characters communicating with one-another in shouting-mode over competing ambient-noise, i.e., engine-roars, explosions, a conglomeration of overexcited-voices, or just-plain distance. As to the latter-point, there are a few-scenes where the female-doctor, for instance, is trying to inform Murphy(O'Toole) that the war has just-ended---this on-water from a canoe, shouting-across an expanse of open-space over the engine-noise of Murphy's barge. Seems unlikely voices would carry in situations like this. There are other similar-moments, too, where the parties understand what's being-shouted between-them, over too gaping a distance, along with other cluttering-sounds. Just a minor-lapse in realism. The final-segment of the movie, its denouement, between Murphy & the Germans, is suspenseful, to be sure, but probably it's dragged-out a little-too-long. It also seems slightly-unrealistic that the sub-commander wouldn't've made-sure that his gun-crews totally-destroyed the pilothouse where he knew the Englishman, Murphy, was controlling the barge. The creaky but valiant old-vessel was aimed-at & shot-up pretty-badly by the Germans, but why did he stop before knowing Murphy and his French-co-pilot, Louie, were out of commission? Anyway, a nifty, novel little-WW2 adventure told with verve & gusto. Despite a few minor-flaws, "Murphy's War" definitely holds one's interest, more-so for male-viewers, I should think, rather than female, as there's very-little of inherently-female interest in the story.
Long-winded, Talky, Brittle-British-Blather-of-a-Story
11 April 2021
Sorry to say, this is another confusing, hyperactive-episode. I've always liked Roger Moore, especially as the later Simon Templar in the long-running 1960's British TV-series "The Saint", a role he made-his-own. Although devilishly-handsome, he appears quite-young here, almost-boyish. Overall, I think he was fine as the assigned-inspector on the case-in-question. I'd only make-the-observation that I feel he overdid his facial-expressions, i.e., they seemed a little too mannered & over-elastic through most of the show, thus tending to overemphasize his reactions to whatever he was told or discovered, such as puzzlement, skepticism, usage of wry-humor, frustration, etc. I mentioned how I found the plot confusing; well, much of the initial set-up for the premise occurs in the opening-scene of the Chief Inspector's office, played by a pre-"Batman" Alan Napier. His dialogue toward Moore is spoken very-rapidly in typically-filmic British-fashion, which I couldn't easily-follow & just gave-up trying, somewhat-hampering my enjoyment of the rest of the story, since I didn't get the real-premise of it. The back & forth about Hazel Court's necklace, it's mysterious-whereabouts, etc., became tedious to keep-track-of, to the point I no-longer cared. So many shady-characters, too, passing in & out of scenes, only-added to the confusion. Normally, I'd enjoy the Britishness of an episode, as I'm a true- Anglophile, but between a much-too-complex set-up & my feeling of a lack of caring about those darned-diamonds, the show didn't do it for me. I never cared-enough. The ending was clever, I admit. I'd actually seen this episode many years-ago but had forgotten how it played-out. In short, a potentially- promising-premise with much-too-rapid dialogue, confusing-actions, heavily-talky with overexcited-accents, along-with Moore's never-static facial-contortions made me bow-out, involvement-wise, early-on---a British-concoction of the old-school that simply wasn't my cup-of-tea!
Belongs on the Junk-Heap
11 April 2021
I'll be honest, I didn't understand this episode, primarily in its final-resolution. Everything was fine until it reached the denouement at the carnival. I'd already gotten-lost on the back & forth conversations re: the headlight. The real problem, I think, was the ambient-noise of the carnival, which covered-up some crucial-dialogue. I just didn't get it. Enjoyed the episode for awhile, it moved-along nicely with unpredictable--and, for a time, directionless-plotline. I like Ralph Meeker but I seem never to be able to watch him without thinking how-closely he resembles & sounds like Vic Morrow of the later-in-the-60's "Combat" TV-series fame, to me, at-least. This, of course, not his fault. I DID feel he overacted somewhat in this episode, in order to convey anger & frustration. Yes, he was experiencing some serious financial & marriage-problems but nevertheless appeared a little too-over-the-top manic in his reactions & behavior. Even still, he remained a sympathetic-character throughout, so I give him credit for that. The only-other, relatively-minor, negative to this episode, was the portrayal of the male-teenagers, shown in stereotypical-fashion as loud, boisterous, hyperactive-kids, probably-older in real-life than the age-group they portrayed. Although these were "harmless" teens, trumpeting a worthy-cause, not hoodlums, they created unnecessary-movement & rather-irritating, overlapping-dialogue, tsk-tsk. I simply never-understood the connection between the beat-up old-jalopy they bought for $50 for their carnival and its relation to the crime. The past-his-prime, old-man-assistant at the car-lot, called "dad" by soft-hearted-owner-Meeker, was likably-sly & close-mouthed. The finale simply was beyond-me due to ambient-noise and confusing-actions & reasoning of the police, as well as "dad's"-wife's final-comments in the fade-out, etc., resulting in a disappointing viewing-experience, amounting to a complete-zero. I know I could re-watch the episode for possible-clarification but won't bother. Proceed at-your-own-risk with this clunker!
Herbert Marshall, Aristotle, and Socrates---Can't Miss!
14 February 2021
I enjoyed this episode, knowing I wanted to catch it, primarily when I learned the dignified British-actor Herbert Marshall was in it. The episode IS rather talky, not helped by the fact it's set in a single-room until the last-few moments but when it's Mr. Marshall talking I'm all-ears! I thoroughly-enjoyed his polished conversation with Robert Horton, who clearly isn't in the man's league, character-wise. Also loved seeing & hearing Marshall, as a court-judge, opening & reading from volumes of Aristotle & Socrates. He appears to have an enormous collection of classical-works in his bookcase, replete with a classical-bust on a pedestal in front of it. Unfortunately, this MeTV print had a muffled soundtrack, making it quite a struggle to understand Mr. Marshall's wonderful-diction clearly, though I managed. The only unrealistic-aspect to the show, perhaps, is that it's a broiling-hot August-day and yet Mr. Marshall's house isn't air-conditioned, only a single-fan in one room. Of course, this episode was filmed in the late-50's, back when a/c wasn't yet so dominant in society. Then, too, the episode's set somewhere in Wisconsin, so abnormally-hot summer-days may not have necessitated a/c as a general-rule. The only-other point about this aspect is that both main-characters are dressed-to-the-nines in suitcoats & ties throughout. Although both comment on the scorching-day, as well as how the sherry's affecting their body-temps, neither looses a tie or removes a suitcoat. Seems unlikely. As for the wife who's divorcing Marshall to run-off & marry Horton, she does nothing-for-me. She's off-camera most of the time anyway, engaged upstairs in what seems an eternity of suitcase-packing. As the actress, unknown to me, plays her role as an icy-cold fish, totally bereft of sentiment toward the man she's leaving, I have no empathy for her. Finally, for my money, Robert Horton, though certainly a capable & competent actor, is just TOO handsome for me to ever-really accept him in a role. It's always hard for me to relate to an actor whose facial-features, as well as thick, immaculately-styled hair, are virtually-perfect. My envy tends to obscure the believability of such actors. This, of course, isn't Horton's, or any other handsome leading-man's fault, it just, for me, makes them unrelatable. So, in short, a good episode with a suspenseful-premise & clever, though disturbing-ending. Herbert Marshall's superb as always, though he was tough-to-understand at times due to the muffled soundtrack. The British film-veteran, along with Socrates & Aristotle, make for quite a trio!
A Sea-Related Mystery that Hits the Mark
14 February 2021
Just watched this episode for the 1st-time today. I'm a fan of the series but generally-prefer the later color-episodes starring John McIntire, though there are many good-ones featuring the series' original wagonmaster, played by Ward Bond. "The Abel Weatherly Story" sounded promising in the program-grid description, having a sea-connection, which I always find a welcome change-of-pace for a land-based western series, though Bonanza, Maverick, and Death Valley Days occasionally have such a setting. I thought guest-actor J.D. Cannon quite-good & effective in his role as first-officer of a whaling-ship. I enjoyed scenes of the fully-rigged whaler under full-sail as it plied the seas, along with believable geographic-references, i.e., straits, islands, etc. The scene where the men are hunting-down a whale in a small-boat with harpoons at-the-ready, then attacked by the leviathan, to be quite well-done, with effective-integration of process-shots, no-doubt obtained from some unknown-movie of the past. The shots used in this fashion, including the whaler under-sail, were smooth, sharp, and non-grainy; in short, convincing, unlike many old TV-shows that made-no-attempt to disguise the trickery(unless Hollywood thought audiences of that era to be too unsophisticated to notice, my personal-theory). The general-premise & plot was intriguing which I won't repeat here. The fact that only 2-regulars from the series were featured, Terry Wilson & Frank McGrath was rather refreshing. As much as I enjoy McGrath, as chuck-wagon cook Charlie Wooster, the naievete' & near-stupidity of his character, can be a little-tedious, endearing as it is, but in this episode he plays his character somewhat-more straightforwardly & realistically. Wilson, who plays reliable trailhand Bill, is good here, too, as the solid, intelligent friend who takes the seaman's mysterious-quest in a tiny Nebraska-Territory town seriously. It's made-clear that both Bill & Charlie are fascinated by the man's tale. To be honest, though, I was at a complete-loss in understanding the episode's resolution. I just didn't "get" it, disappointing after such an involving story, but I think the fact that MeTV's audio-quality became muffled at this point, obscuring the words coming-out of a character vital to the tale's resolution had much to do with it. Possibly this aspect could've been considered far-fetched but since I couldn't hear it clearly, I don't know. Still really-enjoyed this episode, regardless. "The Abel Weatherly Story" is a whale-of-a-tale, a refreshing sea-breeze from those creaking-old wagons & jokes about Charlie's perennially-bad coffee, biscuits, & stew!
Everyone Should Have Such a Devoted Brother
12 February 2021
I like this episode for several reasons. The first is that, to me, it seems kind-of a novel-premise. It may not've been in its day, though, perhaps. Based on what another reviewer here said, the "home-invasion" scenario was a relatively common-one in the late-50's, something I didn't know or realize. Maybe this became common as more & more of the population moved into the suburbs in postwar U.S., giving crime-plot writers a way to get more "relevant" or worrisome-suspense into their stories, geared more-toward the younger, house-buying generation, who may've assumed they were moving-away from crime-ridden urban-areas of their parents & grandparents, or at least the way movies, radio, and TV may've stereotyped urban-crime up till then. Secondly, I've always like Royal Dano, quite a unique character-actor. Here he plays against-type, a modern-politician in a modern, suburban-setting, probably the youngest I've ever seen him, except maybe for his appearance in "The Red Badge of Courage" with Audie Murphy. Dano sports jet-black hair in this episode, if real, and plays a typical suburban husband with a frisky-wife thrown into the bargain. Despite the modern-trappings, Dano still comes-off as a Lincolnesque-figure, i.e., tall, lanky, rumpled-clothing, laconic-drawl, etc. Of course, he actually DID play Lincoln in at-least one TV-western from that era or shortly-thereafter, that I recall. Usually, he turned-up in westerns, roles for which Dano was well-suited. Though effective here as a principled-pol, he nevertheless seems somewhat out-of-place, in terms of casting. Then, I liked Harry Townes here, too, playing a suave, dapper, super-confident assassin. The suspense is palpable, though the ruse his brother, Dano, uses to thwart his plans, is questionable in terms of realistic-believability. It becomes clear, though, that Townes is deranged & sick, and likely wouldn't've succeeded anyway. As the latter becomes more desperate, the suspense tightens. Again, though, the actual-ruse involved is rather thin & flimsy. It seems Dano, however, realizes that his brother, Townes, is deluded-enough not to see through-it. The final-few seconds are especially-surprising & scary. So pretty-good episode, especially if one's first-viewing. The audio-quality on this particular MeTV-airing was a little-muffled & unclear. Though passable, it's always a little-annoying when this occurs.
Life is No Bed of Roses
5 February 2021
Another fine acting-turn for the always-watchable Robert Harris. Interesting, also, to see him paired with the excellent-actress Jessica Tandy, of much-later "Driving Miss Daisy" fame. This was an especially-interesting episode for me in that it's set in the early 20th-century--1910 New York City to be precise--a rather-refreshing break from "modern" settings & stories. There have been other exceptions in the Hitchcock-series, too, such as "The Older Sister", set in late 19th-century New England, a tale based on the Lizzie Borden murder-case. Tandy, though quite-attractive here, convincingly-looks every-inch the 1910 spinster. Harris portrays a "nice" character here. Tandy is "nice", as well, but upon her arrival, quickly-reveals that something's amiss with her mentally. I won't rehash the plot but this is an effective-episode, one that builds, not so-much suspense, as curiosity as to just what's going-on with Tandy & her mounting-paranoia over her baby. Harris is quite-mystified by her strange-outbursts & nervous-behavior but ultimately is sympathetic to his intended's plight. Tandy, by program's end, becomes understandable. Harris, though, is devastated by realizing that he's largely to blame for her predicament. Nice twist at finale, whether one guesses it early-on or not. I, for one, didn't. A different kind-of Hitchcock-episode, especially-good because it IS different!
A Bargain-Basement Marriage
3 February 2021
This episode is clever & easy-to-follow, featuring a small-cast of familiar character-actors, the youngest, I think, I've ever seen them. The plot is straightforward, a tale of 2 local-pals who let their imaginations run-away with them, assuming the worst with the disappearance of their friend's wife, believing him to have buried her in the basement. These 2 fishing-buddies, of which Emhardt, the husband-under-suspicion, is affiliated, are mired in the petty-rumors & unsavory-peccadilloes of their tiny, close-knit community. The 3 mentioned-principals portray average, normal, small-town residents with an effective, enjoyable-degree of naturalism. Emhardt conveys a sense of close-mouthed & sinister-behavior, something he was good-at in many shows over the years, though he also portrayed likeable characters, too. When he plays evil or cunning, though, he's at his best, underplaying rather than overplaying. Cara Williams, probably unknown to most viewers of today, is quite-young here, too, though recognizable to me. Her attractiveness in this episode is noticeable, to be sure, but she hadn't yet reached her full-potential in this regard. Just check-her-out in the Danny Kaye movie "The Man from the Diner's Club", made a few-years later, in the 60's. In short, a good-episode. One may say it's talky but it's not boring-talk. It should hold your interest.
Talking the Viewers to Death
31 January 2021
The real-crime here is the episode's talkiness. From start to finish, it's talk, talk, talk, without relief, set in only 2 connected-rooms, one of which is a garage, I think, with a floor-grate leading to a sewer. Eventually, I realized the plot, such as it was, was meant as a dryly-brittle, tongue-in-cheek farce. It's hard for a viewer to stay focused, though, because virtually-nothing happens, it's just talk--the family-patriarch trying to coach his family on how to explain an embarassing, inconvenient-murder, likely, if discovered, to ruin their social-prominence among the gentrified-elite. Cedric Hardwicke's always worth-watching, though, an actor who conveys dignity & authority, speaking in a mellifluous, dulcet-tone. His restrained-style of physical-movement lends the proper-air to his calm, unflappable presence. The finale is ambiguous. If detectable at all, it flits-by without impact or clarity. I kept thinking the story would evolve into a more-compelling scenario but it never did--and all the talking tried my attention-span. Perhaps this wasn't an issue among the audiences of the 1950's. I believe viewers DID have longer attention-spans in past-decades. Usually, I can overcome this obstacle, as I now actually prefer, at my current-age, conversational-scenes, as opposed to today's hyper-paced action & smarmy-humor. This episode made it tough, though. In short, I'd say watch it for Mr. Hardwicke's droll-performance, as well as John Williams' expressions in reactive-shots, two old-pros interacting with aplomb. The tale itself, sadly, is nothing.
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